Letters | Even with a tuition hike, Hong Kong universities offer great value

Readers discuss why the city is a near-utopia for prospective undergraduates, the resignation of Hong Kong’s British judges, and a holistic approach to youth mental health

Universities in Hong Kong

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 26 Jun 2024

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The government recently announced a three-year plan to progressively raise university tuition fees from HK$42,100 (US$5,393) to HK$49,500, a 17.6 per cent increment.

While most people seem to accept the need for adjustment after a decades-long freeze, views have mainly focused on the question of affordability for students. I wish to offer a different perspective.

Students in Hong Kong are living in a near-utopia in terms of the quality of higher education against the fees they have to pay.

Let’s take the QS World University Rankings 2025 as a basis for comparison. The University of Hong Kong is ranked 17th, behind Cornell University and University College London. After the tuition hike, HKU will be charging HK$49,500 (US$6,340) per year, which is significantly cheaper than Cornell (US$65,204) or UCL (up to £41,000 or US$51,929).

In terms of admission, Diploma of Secondary Education students are in the best position to enrol at HKU. According to the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas), 89.7 per cent of last year’s applicants were offered spots at their top three choices, which would surely include HKU.

In addition to HKU, four universities in Hong Kong are ranked among the world’s top 100, with the Chinese University of Hong Kong at No 36, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology at No 47, Polytechnic University at No 57 and City University at No 62.

Internationally, HKU is one of the easier top 20 universities to get into, with 17 per cent of applications being accepted. Cornell’s acceptance rate is much lower: 7 per cent.

Why the disparity? In Hong Kong, amid falling births, the number of school candidates for the DSE decreased from 66,613 for 2014 to 43,295 for 2024.

However, the number of subsidised university places remains at 15,000, while thousands of places in sub-degree programmes are also subsidised.

Thus, with the university admission rate among DSE students hovering at 40 per cent, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that every eligible local applicant is almost guaranteed a university place.

In summary, while the proposed increase in tuition fees may be a concern for some students, it is also important to consider the exceptional value and quality of higher education in Hong Kong. The city’s top universities consistently rank among the best in the world, yet they remain significantly more affordable than their international counterparts.

Higher education in Hong Kong is a great deal.

Roy Ying, senior lecturer, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

No UK government pressure brought to bear on judges

I do not propose to comment on the reaction to my recent resignation as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal save in one respect. In my capacity as an non-permanent judge, I have never taken my cue from the British government. I have had no communication with them, direct or indirect, about Hong Kong. No government pressure to withdraw from the court has been brought to bear on me or any other UK judge, except in the case of Lords Reed and Hodge in 2022.

Their position was different, as they were serving UK judges who sat in the Court of Final Appeal under an agreement between the United Kingdom government and the authorities in Hong Kong, which the UK government chose to terminate.

Jonathan Sumption, London

To improve students’ mental health, catch them young

I refer to your report, “Hong Kong teachers on front line of spotting student suicide risks in ‘top priority’ push” (June 13). It was appalling to read that “nearly one in four children and adolescents had at least one mental health disorder, and almost one in 10 secondary school pupils had suicidal thoughts”.

We must do something to help these students. Mental health is extremely important in one’s development. As mentioned in the report, the pilot project “Let’s Pause” creates opportunities for teachers and students to come together, relax and build rapport. This project should be brought to more schools.

Psychological research suggests that talking about problems and anxieties is helpful. Thus, therapeutic gatherings where teachers or students can share their worries among themselves in the presence of an expert should be held regularly.

Furthermore, school curriculums should include mental health studies, covering self-awareness, emotional intelligence, stress management and so on. A holistic approach needs to be taken to mental health, beginning from primary school. In the age of artificial intelligence, some subjects are in danger of becoming redundant. But the human ability to handle emotions will always be indispensable.

Hong Kong has always been a high-stress environment, and three pandemic years have intensified the situation. Mental health has suffered, and I am sad to know that many students had suicidal thoughts.

Reasons for this situation could include excessive academic stress, overcrowded living conditions and the lacklustre economy, which puts parents under pressure. Less privileged families might be hit especially hard; could children from such a background easily stay positive and healthy?

The issue is not just youth suicide prevention. There is a larger issue that the government and society should address with multiple strategies and measures.

Fion Yip, Guangzhou